


(Your) Light In The Dark

by ElisaPhoenix



Series: Against All Odds [3]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Awkward Scott Lang, Bisexual Peter Quill, M/M, POV Peter Quill, Protective Peter Quill, Scott Lang Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-19
Updated: 2020-09-26
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:55:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23738710
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ElisaPhoenix/pseuds/ElisaPhoenix
Summary: Quill wanted a little extra spice in his life. He just never thought he would literally run into it.
Relationships: Scott Lang/Peter Quill
Series: Against All Odds [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1795060
Comments: 9
Kudos: 61





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Well, by a few requests, here is the start of Against All Odds in Quill's POV. There was a vote between this and a different high school story but after all the good ideas thrown at me, nothing clicked. So I decided to start with this for now.

It was almost disgusting. He almost didn't want to look around his classroom while his teacher spoke, just so he wouldn't have to see another girl bat her eyelashes at him again. Not that he didn't appreciate them...but that was usually from a distance. There was a reason he tried to keep his distance from the more popular girls. Ninety percent of the time they had one goal, and that was to get into his pants. He was pretty sure it was supposed to be the other way around, but it felt relentless. It was bad enough Rachel had her eyes on him. She was already spreading rumors that she and him were an item and it sent shivers up his spine.

Was it too much to ask that someone wanted him for him? To not care about bragging rights (something his friends said was actually a thing)? The part of the school that cared about high school drama (and didn't listen to Rachel) wondered why Quill wasn't in a relationship, and the answer was simple.

He wanted more than a simple fuck. He wanted to get to know someone. Then again, this was high school so that probably really was too much to ask. It was rare for high school couples to keep going with a relationship after graduation anyway. A guy could hope though.

Quill sighs with a mixture of relief and trepidation when the lunch bell rings, and takes his time throwing his books into his backpack. He brought lunch from home so he wasn't in any rush to get to the cafeteria, and while he liked taco day, he liked his grandfather's leftover beef stew way better. It was so good he'd eat it cold...but he wasn't going to. He would be able to heat it up if he asked the lunch lady nicely.

"Hey Quill! Are you stuck or something? Come on!" One of his friends calls when he sticks his head into the classroom.  
"Hilarious." The senior retorts sarcastically as he looks around the now empty classroom. He had taken longer than he thought.

He gets up from his desk and slings his bag over his shoulder, following his friend to their lockers where Quill switched out books and got his lunch. They join up with more of their football friends outside of the cafeteria, and after they walk in and over to their usual table, Quill throws his backpack onto his spot. It hardly took a minute to coax the lunch lady to heat up his lunch with some added charm, and a few minutes later, he was back at his seat and eating his stew.

"Hey! I heard Coach was going to cut practice short today." Eric says to him as Quill shoves another spoonful of food into his mouth. "Something about his kid's play."  
"Thank god." He replies after swallowing. "I could use a breather."  
"Pfft... he'll probably work us twice as hard to make up for it." One of the other guys says as Quill stops eating to look around.

He had been feeling eyes on him since he sat down but when he finally looked around, the feeling went away and nobody seemed to be paying him any mind. Not even Rachel. One more glance around the room just gave him a glimpse of a student hitting another boy upside the head with a paperback but it was otherwise normal. No one was staring at him, so he shrugged it off and turned his attention back to lunch and divided a small amount of that attention to the conversation his friends were having. About football practice. Nothing new there. It was almost white noise at this point because it was the same thing every day. Go to school, die a little inside from boredom for eight hours, then spend two more hours getting his ass sacked in practice because his defense wasn't doing their job. Shower the muscle aches away, go home and do his homework, eat dinner, go to bed. Rinse and repeat. 

Maybe add a couple hours of watching TV or listening to music in there somewhere. It depended on how he was feeling and if he had the time or energy. It was all a boring routine. He wanted something new in his life. To mix it up. It was another reason why he wanted an actual relationship. 

His routine played out for the rest of the day as expected. The only difference being that the football coach was indeed going to cut practice short, and that his friend was right that they were going to be working twice as hard to make up for it. By the time practice was finally over, Quill was pretty sure he had more bruises than ever. He had never looked forward to a shower as much as he did today, and made sure he beat his teammates to one of the showers where he made quick work of washing up so he could enjoy the hot spray of the water massaging his sore muscles.

"Damn Quill, put that away." One of the guys jest and the captain rolls his eyes as he turns off the shower.  
"No one asked you to look." He wraps a towel around his waist before making his way over to the locker his clothes were in.  
"Kind of hard not to when it's _there_." Eric adds.  
"You're just jealous."  
"...yeah. Kind of. You've got girls dying to get in your pants!"  
Quill snorts. "Guess it sucks they have to settle for you. Do they ask you if it's in yet?"  
Eric scowls. "You're a dick Quill."  
"You all made that clear three seconds ago." Quill says with a grin over the team's howling laughter.

They all knew it was in good fun. No one actually took any offense to jokes like that because they all took some kind of shot at each other, and even Quill had a few of his friends take a few stabs at him. 

"Anyway, we're thinking of going to get pizza. Want to join?" Eric asks as they get dressed.  
"Sure. I was just going to head home, but I wouldn't mind a slice."  
"You mean a whole damn pizza?"  
"I pay for my own food. Shut up."

Quill closes his locker before throwing on his sweater and he curses when he remembers that he left his wallet in his regular locker. He shouts to his friends that he'll meet them at the restaurant as he throws his backpack over his shoulder and runs out of the locker room. There was no one besides the team and maybe some stragglers in the library on campus, so Quill didn't bother slowing down on his way to his locker. He came to regret it thirty seconds later though when he rounded a corner and barreled into a student that was innocently putting his books away. The poor guy was smaller than the senior though so while Quill only stumbled in surprise, the other boy was sent straight to the ground and his books tumbled to the floor.

"Holy shit! I'm sorry!" He exclaims as he crouches down to help gather the strewn books. "I wasn't paying attention. My bad."

Quill looked over at his unfortunate victim to hand his belongings over and his heart skipped a beat. He found himself looking into the most beautifully colored eyes he had ever seen.

_His eyes are gold._

The younger teen looked as if he were caught doing something naughty.

"The one time I don't pay attention to where I'm going." He jokes as he helps the teen to his feet and brushes him off. "Are you okay? I didn't hurt you, did I?"

It was a plausible concern. The other boy was much smaller than Quill, and somewhere in the back of his mind he wanted to roll him up in bubble wrap and protect him from the harsh, unforgiving world. He wore a sweater that had definitely seen some usage, tight jeans that very pleasantly hugged every bit of his legs that Quill made sure to take a look at the back when he could, and then had the tiniest cowlick in his hair that he almost reached out to try and fix. He resisted though since he was pretty sure that wouldn't be well received.

Not a single word passed the younger's lips. He only continued to stare and Quill began to wonder if the guy could speak at all. Maybe he was mute? Quill's concern grows as the other turns back toward his locker to fumble his books back into it, but just when he turns back and finally opens his mouth to possibly say something, Quill was distracted by golden eyes again. His brain to mouth filter failed spectacularly on him in the next moment.

"Damn. You have some really pretty eyes for a guy." He blurts.

The blush that grew rapidly on the younger's face was just the icing on the cake. Quill did manage to take a look at what tight jeans were accenting when the other teen had turned to put away his books, and the senior was given an eyeful of _hot damn_. The smaller teen opened and closed his mouth like a fish, and just as Quill was about to ask him if he was okay again, the younger shut his mouth so hard he could hear his teeth clack together, made the most adorable squeak...and then hauled ass. By the time the senior processed what had happened, the other boy was already halfway around the corner (and his attempt to call out to him was all for naught), and Quill was _intrigued_. Most students either flirted with him or looked at him with obvious disdain (usually the students that despised the popular kids even though Quill was nice to _everyone._ ), but that student? He did neither. 

It was refreshing.

Who was that guy and why had Quill never noticed him before? He liked to think that he knew all of the students (at least almost all of them), especially someone as cute as that guy was, but he didn't recognize him. Maybe he was new? A transfer student? No. Even transfer students got some attention even if it was just for a couple of days, and Quill hadn't heard anything about one.

The only explanation at the time was that he was a guy that just wanted to get through high school with as little drama as possible, and Quill couldn't say he could blame him. High school sucked sometimes. Cliques didn't help.

He would have to figure it out later. Right now he needed to get his wallet and meet up with his friends at the pizza parlor so he could eat and hang out before he was expected home. He had all weekend to ponder about the mystery teen and how the everloving fuck he's never seen him before. Quill sighs and finishes his trek to his locker to grab his wallet, and then jogs a little slower (so not to accidentally bulldoze anyone else down) out of the building and to the parking lot to his car. He tosses his bag into the passenger seat as he gets in and then drives away after buckling in and starting the car.

It was on the short drive to the pizza parlor that Quill wondered a little more about the walking visible tease...and what he was going to do about getting rid of the sadness that was lurking behind honey-gold eyes. Sadness and loneliness that even Quill couldn't have missed. It wasn't the normal kind of thing he saw around school either. It was a cry for attention from someone that didn't seem to want it in the first place.

Damn.

This guy was already a walking conundrum and Quill didn't even know his name.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Also, I have no idea what guys talk about in the locker room so please don't criticize me if this is wrong lol.
> 
> Let me know what you think so far!


	2. Chapter 2

When Quill woke up Saturday morning, his muscles were screaming at him the second he moved. He groans loudly into his pillow, and lays in bed unmoving for the next half an hour until there's a knock on his bedroom door as it opens. His grandfather walks in and chuckles quietly when he finds Quill with eyes wide open but making no move to get out of bed, and green eyes peer up at the elder.

"Hard day at practice yesterday?"  
"If I don't move, I won't fall apart." Quill groans.  
"I guess you don't want the breakfast I made you. I even made french toast." His grandfather bribes and Quill stuffs his face back into his pillow.  
"Five minutes."

The elder man leaves the room with an amused huff, and Quill takes the time to gather the energy and motivation to fight his pain and get out of bed. His grandfather made _everything_ whenever he made Quill breakfast. Eggs, bacon, sausage, hashbrowns...and instead of toast, he made french toast. It was worth suffering for in Quill's opinion. On school days, he usually shoveled down some cereal or picked up donuts on the way to school (not really a healthy choice, especially since he was an athlete), so he always appreciated a proper breakfast. He wasn't allowed to make much more than cereal anyway. No matter how hard he tried to learn, he always seemed to ruin something when he cooked so he was eventually banned from cooking anything hot that didn't go in the microwave.

With another groan, Quill throws off his comforter and sits up before getting out of bed and trying to stretch out his sore muscles. A shower would have to wait until after he ate since his grandfather already cooked, but he would stand in there for an hour if he needed to. Just when he thought he had stretched all the muscles he thought he had, yesterday proved there were some muscles he didn't use. Muscles he didn't even know he had.

It was a miracle he made it downstairs to the kitchen, really. The moment he sat down at the table, he knew it was going to take some effort to get back up and he was almost tempted to just live at the table. Almost...because he knew his grandfather would literally kick him out of the chair and wouldn't cater to his every need. His grandfather was awesome and Quill appreciated everything the man had done for him, but he also didn't take his shit. Like when he pushed Quill off the couch when he fell asleep watching TV. 

_"Ow! Hey! What the hell gramps?!"  
"You're in my spot and I want to be able to hear my show. Not an overgrown cat."  
Quill rubs his head. "Could've just asked."  
"Go snore in your own room."  
"I don't snore!"  
"Yes you do. Go run and play." His grandfather waves him away and Quill grunts.  
"Not a little kid you old fart--OW!" Quill yelps when his grandpa smacks the back of his head._

That was a normal occurrence. They traded quips and while the younger Quill usually got smacked for it in the end, it never actually hurt and Quill knew there was no heat behind it. If there was, he wouldn't have a plate full of food set in front of him at this very moment. 

"You've outdone yourself again, Tim." Quill grins and winces when his grandfather swats him again.  
"Don't call me by my name." Tim sits across from the younger with his own plate of breakfast and the daily newspaper. He hardly read the news from it. He just used it for the crossword. "So care to explain why you came home looking lost in thought?"  
Quill looks over at him as he stuffs his mouth with french toast and then chews thoughtfully before swallowing to answer. "There was this guy at school. I think he's mute or something. Kind of cute… _really_ cute." He corrects with a mumble. "  
"I thought you were dating that girl...Rachel was it?" Tim asks as he fills in an answer and Quill makes a face.  
"In her dreams maybe. Even then that's terrifying and I feel sorry for my dream self."  
"Well...what's the boy's name?"  
"...dunno." Quill admits lamely and shoves some hash browns into his mouth.

His grandpa gave him a look of 'are you kidding me?' before continuing with his crossword. It was nice being able to talk to him openly about students he thought were attractive. In fact, when Quill gathered enough courage to come out to him that he was bi, Tim just chuckled and said, _"Here I thought I was going to have to be the one to tell you."_

Needless to say, Quill had been thrown for a loop until his grandfather told him that he very obviously checked out both girls and guys whenever they were out in public. He had been mortified for a good five minutes after that discussion, but Tim never treated him any differently. Maybe a teasing jab here and there to embarrass him, but nothing degrading. His grandfather accepted him for who he was and supported him through any problems he had...and he knew a lot of his classmates weren't so lucky.

"So what is it about this boy that's got smoke coming out of your ears?"  
"He ran."  
Tim looks at him from over his coffee cup. "He ran? Have you seen yourself, Pete? I don't blame him."  
"I don't know...it wasn't like that. Maybe it was part of it but he didn't run immediately. He stood there and….holy crap! Gramps, he had the prettiest eyes I've ever seen!" Tim snorts humorously and looks down at his crossword. "They were like honey! I want to know how I've never seen him before!"

Quill went on his rant after that. Explaining every thought he had about the guy he ran into yesterday with his grandfather who simply nodded until the teen was done. Even if he didn't give any advice, it was okay because sometimes Quill just needed to get it all out before the thoughts started tripping over each other. Half the time, Quill stopped making sense and Tim just ignored him until he either needed advice or figured things out on his own.

He didn't need any. At least not this time. Quill spent the weekend mulling over what he would do about the boy at school. He knew he wanted to see him again, to find out his name, but he had a feeling it would be like chasing a shadow. There also had to be a way that he could come across less intimidating, but one look in the mirror nixed that thought process. Quill just had to hope that his kindness would be enough and that he didn't bulldoze the poor guy to the floor again. When Monday came around and the teen devoured a couple bowls of cereal (and had a bag lunch thrown at his face as he left), Quill went to school and threw his lunch into his locker. As he grabbed books for the first half of the day, his friends approached him and groaned.

"Did you die on Saturday?" Eric asks.  
"Almost. I was revived by Gramps's breakfast." Quill replies.  
"He pack you lunch?" Eric reaches out to grab the bag of food until Quill pushes him away and closes his locker.  
"Why are you always trying to steal my lunch dude?"  
"He gives you all the good stuff."  
"Get your own." Quill laughs before heading to class.

He went through his typical day of ignoring the stares of every girl he had classes with, and after a head scratching math class, followed by history, lunch finally came. Quill had to talk to his math teacher about the recent work though. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't seem to get anything right and he was falling behind. He needed tutoring or something before he was kicked off the football team for failing math. It wasn't that bad yet, but he needed to do something about it before he was.

So he stopped by his math class.

"I'm sorry Peter. I've already got other students I'm helping and I don't have any time for another. Maybe you can talk to your grandfather about hiring one?"  
"I...can't ask him to do that. I'll try and figure something else out." The teen replies as the classroom door opens behind him. He didn't bother looking to see who it was until his teacher looked over his shoulder at them.  
"Ah, Scott!" Quill's teacher exclaims and the teen turns to look.

It was the boy with the pretty eyes. How was that for coincidence?

"Sorry. I was just getting my book. I'm leaving again." The younger boy mumbles as he scurries toward the door with his book.  
"Oh. So you _can_ talk. I thought you might have been mute." Quill blurts out and almost feels bad when Scott visibly jumps.

Quill was inwardly gushing over the guy's name as he stared. Sure he looked a little bit like a frightened animal, but the senior tried to come across as approachable at the very least. It didn't seem to help since Scott looked ready to bolt at any second again. Was he really that intimidating?

"I see you know each other. Scott here is one of my top students." Their teacher says.  
"Oh...uh...know is kind of stretching it. I ran--" Quill starts and the teacher interrupts him with a wave of his hand.  
"He would be able to help you with your math homework." He and Quill look at Scott. "Do you mind?"  
Scott seems to snap out of whatever daze he was in. "What?"  
"I already have three students I'm tutoring, but I don't have the time for a fourth. You understand the material so would you be willing to help out Peter?"  
"Huh?" Scott wheezes out. "I-I'm only a Sophomore sir."

_Oh, he's cute when he's nervous._

"That doesn't change the fact that you know the math." The teacher dismisses flippantly and Quill suddenly finds himself being pushed out the door with Scott. "You'll do fine. Now excuse me while I try to eat lunch before the period is over."

Quill felt exactly how Scott looked when the teacher closed the door behind them. Completely and utterly confused. Did their teacher just make a decision for them? Scott clearly looked uncomfortable about the idea of helping Quill with his math so the older teen figured he should probably say something to alleviate the expectation of the younger. Specifically that there wasn't any.

"Are you okay with this?" Quill finally asks and sighs with some relief when Scott nods hesitantly. "Okay...I have football practice everyday, so should we meet somewhere afterwards?"  
Scott uses his free hand to grip the bottom of his sweater while pointedly avoiding eye contact. A nervous habit of his maybe? "I...I go to the library to study for a little while after school. I can stay there."  
"Cool. So I guess I'll meet you after school?" Quill asks gently.

All he got in answer was another nod before Scott was running away once again. Maybe he should have just said that he didn't expect Scott to put time aside after school to help him. He obviously made the other teen nervous, but the thought that he would be able to spend time with Scott excited him. Hopefully he would get to know the teen behind the lonely eyes and the skittish behavior.

He was so excited that the rest of the school day and even practice went by faster than usual. Quill did have the worrying thought in the back of his mind that Scott would leave him high and dry and he would find the library missing one student, but the idea that he would be there when Quill went to meet him? It drowned out that little worry. He took his shower after practice as quickly as possible, got dressed, and barely managed a 'see ya' to his friends as he rushed to the library with the books he had grabbed before practice.

His initial worry was all for naught. Scott was sitting alone at one of the tables with his own homework, so Quill quickly composed himself before walking over and sitting down across from the younger teen. 

"Hey--" Quill blinks in surprise when Scott startles in his seat and his head snaps up to look at him. "Oh shit. Sorry. I didn't mean to scare you!" When all Scott did was stare at him for the next thirty seconds, Quill tried again. "Uh...how should we start?"  
Scott blinks up at him. "Sorry...what?"  
"Where do you want to start?"  
"Do your homework I guess and then I could look it over and then help you with what you missed." The younger mumbles and Quill nods as he pulls out his books.  
"Sounds good."

When Scott looked back down at his homework, Quill took the next couple of minutes to look the guy over. He was small enough that Quill wanted to hold him right and protect him from the world, and still wore the sweater from Friday. It was clearly a favorite of his based on the wear and tear of it and for a second, Quill wondered how he would look in one of the senior's sweatshirts. Even smaller probably.

It was disturbing how fixated he was on Scott already. Good thing he wasn't a mind reader or he would be running and screaming for the hills yesterday. Quill made absolutely sure his large frame didn't take over the table in any way too. Leaned back and kept his legs as close to the chair as possible even if it was a little uncomfortable.

He did his homework as Scott had suggested and when he was finished, he got the younger's attention and had him look it over. Scott pointed out some mistakes and explained how to do it easily, and Quill had to fight to keep his focus on what Scott was saying instead of _how_ he was explaining it. The brief smell of mint and oranges coming from the younger teen was no help but he managed to push through it until they had finished.

"Thanks for the help. You make it easier than the teacher does." Quill says as they pack up their things.  
"Sure."  
"Do you want a ride home?" The senior asks carefully.  
"No thank you. I have a few things I need to do on the way home." Scott replies quietly.  
"I don't mind helping you run a couple of errands. It's the least I can do after keeping you at school like this." Quill insists.  
"One of them isn't very quick. I have some grocery shopping to do."  
Quill was sure he had a weird look on his face as he asked his next question. "Don't one of your parents do that?"  
"Usually." Scott shrugs. "They're out of town right now though so I need to do it this time."  
The senior nods "I still don't mind, and it would make things easier for you since I have a car. You wouldn't need to carry everything home. I'm assuming you're not at the driving age at least." He finishes with a bit of a challenging tone.  
Scott seems to think it over but shakes his head again. "No. It's fine. Thanks."

Oh there was no way Quill was going to let this go easily. He could grab a few snacks at the store while the younger shopped and hopefully get more than a sentence out of him that wasn't about school. He was still curious about Scott and taking him to run errands would be the perfect opportunity to watch him.

_Fuck...that sounds creepy._


	3. Chapter 3

Despite Scott's rejection of Quill's offer, he was remarkably easy to direct to the senior's car. It wasn't like Quill forced him into his car, Scott got in of his own accord, but he wanted to thank the younger teen somehow. He could've easily flipped him the bird and left him on his own with his math, so Quill could at least make his errands easier right? Scott kept mumbling that it was all unnecessary but he didn't bolt the second they arrived at the grocery store. He only sighed and grabbed a cart while the older teen trailed behind him and looked around for snacks...and periodically at a jean covered ass. Scott really had a great one. Quill just wanted to grab it--

_What the hell is wrong with me? I don't even know him and even if I tried that, he would jump out of his skin and run._

Damn, he had his work cut out for him. Granted, this all started because Quill wanted to know who he was, but the more he learned about Scott, the more he liked. He was skittish. Almost to a fault. His main concern was getting those golden eyes to fill with happiness and excitement instead of misery and loneliness though. He clearly needed a friend if he didn't have one already, and even then a second one wouldn't hurt him.

"You finished?" Quill asks when he catches the younger staring at the contents of his cart.  
Scott snaps out of whatever daze he had been in and looks at Quill. "Oh...uh, yeah."

They make their way to the front and Quill waits patiently as Scott pays for his groceries before they carry the bags to the bar and throw them in the back. As he drove Scott home (and the younger gave him directions), he couldn't help but notice that the sophomore would side eye him every few seconds. Not entirely because he was nervous, no...he looked curious too. As much as Quill wanted to ask Scott what was on his mind, he knew it would just make the younger clam up and it would be two steps back from what he wanted to happen.

When he finally pulled into the driveway at Scott's house, he unbuckled his seatbelt with every intention to help carry the groceries inside, but Scott stopped him. "I can manage from here. Thanks."  
"You sure?" Quill asks. 

There were quite a few bags, but the younger nodded and scrambled out of the car and grabbed every single bag _including_ his backpack and walked towards his door. He did mumble a quick thanks as he passed the passenger door and Quill so badly wanted to get out of the car and help Scott with his burden, even if it was just for a second. If a strong wind blew through, there was a strong possibility that it would knock Scott over with how many bags he was carrying. It would probably knock him over regardless but that was besides the point. Quill watched Scott drop the bags long enough to unlock his door and only when he's sure the younger is safely inside with his things does he restart the car. Before he pulled away though, he took one last look at the house and suddenly had the feeling that that was all it was. A house. Some houses that he went to radiated a homely vibe, but this one...it didn't.

Maybe it was because Scott's parents were out of town, or maybe his family wasn't close. Either way, Quill was a little more appreciative of what he had home and family wise. If his gut was right, the air of mystery around Scott just got denser and it was driving him crazy. Just when he managed to carefully pick off a tiny bit of information about the younger teen, he turned around and found himself facing a landslide.

What did he actually know? His name was Scott (last name still unknown), Scott was skittish as all hell but his eyes betrayed how he really felt, he was good at math, small enough to make Quill want to teddy bear him, had the prettiest eyes, and had a nice ass.

That was a sad amount of knowledge, and here Quill was already drooling over him.

Quill grumbles to himself as he drives home, and when he parks in front of his house and walks in, Tim looks over at him from the couch in the living room. "You're home late."  
"Oh...yeah. I'm getting some help with math after school. From the same guy I ran into on Friday."  
His grandfather looks up at him in surprise. "He didn't run?"  
"I'm sure he wanted to. Our teacher kind of dropped the responsibility on him but he stuck around. Well...actually...he did run but not while he was helping me."  
"Do you still not know his name?"  
"I do! It's Scott." Quill answers quickly with a puff of his cheeks.

Quill explained what was going to happen after school until either Scott got tired of helping him or whenever the senior finally understood math (Scott giving up on him was more likely). He would have practice, study in the school library for an hour with Scott, and then come home after maybe taking Scott home. Football season was almost over so he would come home sooner when it was, assuming Scott didn't throw in the towel with him. Quill hoped that didn't happen because it would give him more time to delve into the mystery that was Scott... whatever the hell his last name was. That should probably be the next piece of information Quill finds out.

=================

The next couple of days more or less went by the same, including his time with Scott, and Quill always took him home. He did find out that Scott's last name was Lang but that wasn't exactly information freely given. Quill just happened to see it on some of his homework. Thursday was completely different though. Wednesday night, his grandfather asked him to skip his study hour so they could help a family friend with...something. Quill admittedly zoned out once Tim said he needed him home immediately after football practice. Even if Scott hardly talked to him, Quill enjoyed spending time with him because it was a nice change from his friends. They were rowdy and always trying for his attention, but with Scott, he was quiet and kept to himself.

Quill just needed a chance to tell Scott he wouldn't be coming to the library today. His best chance would be lunch, and he waited for the chance to go talk to Scott. He periodically looked across the cafeteria, and one time he even caught Scott looking in his direction. His first instinct was to smile at the younger teen, and he had to hold back a laugh when Scott's eyes widened and he looked away with a sputter and pink in his cheeks. As the senior internally gushed over the adorable blush that adorned Scott's cheek, he noticed another student offer the younger teen a juice box.

_So he likes juice._

The senior decided now was as good a time as any to go talk to Scott, but the second he stood up and moved to make his way over to the teen, he was intercepted by Rachel. She cozied right up to him with her hands rubbing up his arms, and perfume that Quill was sure replaced actual oxygen. He felt like he was choking on it.

"So Peter…" She purrs. "We were thinking of going to the mall this weekend if you want to come with us."

Quill looks at her hand when it stops on his bicep and he reaches up to gently remove it and push her away. Rachel really had no sense of personal space or what it meant when people said to _lightly spritz_ perfume. He really was having some difficulty getting proper air with the cheerleader that close to him. Her proposition wasn't appealing either.

"I'll think about it." Quill says as he attempts to hide a grimace.

He knew how to deal with Rachel. She wasn't one to take no for an answer, so the closest thing he could say was what he had answered her with. She pouted before she left with a couple of her fellow cheerleaders, and that left Quill to breathe a sigh of relief...without the pollution of artificial fragrance. Sure, some guys were also guilty of basically showering themselves in men's body spray, but girls thought they were innocent of doing anything of the like.

They were not.

By the time Quill started toward Scott again, the lunch bell had rung and the senior released a defeated sigh. He turned back to clean up his mess and toss his garbage, and promised himself that he would go find Scott immediately after school and before practice. He wouldn't leave Scott to sit in the library and wait, and the thought alone had the senior go through the second half of the day with his knee bouncing anxiously. The second his last class was let out, Quill left the classroom and searched the halls for Scott's locker. He thanked himself (very briefly) for running into Scott that first day so he knew where the younger's locker was located. There was also the plus that he got to meet Scott at all.

Quill finds Scott already at his locker and he leans against the lockers on the other side of the open door to wait for Scott to finish getting whatever he needs. It gave the older teen the opportunity to admire his ass anyway.

When Scott closes his locker, Quill straightens and holds back a smirk when the younger visibly jumps at his sudden presence.

"Hey." He greets casually and Scott looks up at him.  
"...hi." He mutters.  
"So...I can't make it to the library today. I've got a lot of things to get done after practice and it has to be done today--"  
"It's fine." Scott interrupts. "We have the same homework and it's mostly review stuff so you shouldn't need my help anyway. One day won't hurt you."  
"Okay. Good. It's just today. I'll see you tomorrow?" Quill asks and then pats Scott's shoulder as he moves past him once the younger boy nods.

He hated leaving Scott to walk in the rain, but he didn't even have the time to drive him home. Thankfully, for him, the coach would give them an easy practice inside and maybe even cut it short with this downpour. 

=========

The next day at lunch, Quill looked around the cafeteria but he didn't see Scott at all. His friend was at their usual table, but the younger was nowhere to be seen. Said friend approached Quill after school with a concerned expression.

"Quill?"  
Up close like this, the senior recognized Scott's friend. "Stephen, right?"  
Stephen nods. "I just wanted to let you know that Scott won't be tutoring you today. He wasn't at school today. I'm going to go check on him."  
"I can give you a ride. Practice is cancelled and I wouldn't mind checking in on him too." Quill offers.  
"Do you mind if we pick up some soup? I have a feeling he might have gotten sick." Stephen sighs.  
The senior winces. "I couldn't drive him home yesterday...but yeah. Let's go."

Stephen nods again and follows Quill to the doors of the school, and from there they run straight to his car and get in. They did the same thing at the grocery store when they picked up some soup and medicine, and when they got to Scott's house, they were lucky enough to catch a break in the storm. It wouldn't last long so Quill took the initiative to knock on the door. The two waited for about a minute before knocking again, and Scott finally opened the door a few seconds later. He had a blanket wrapped around his shoulders, his nose was red with obvious congestion, and his eyes gave away how miserable he felt.

Scott managed to look adorable even sick and Quill felt himself falling harder for the sophomore. He had to hold himself back from wrapping Scott up in a bigger blanket and curling around him protectively when he finally let them inside.


	4. Chapter 4

Scott shuffled back to the couch as Quill and Stephen entered just as the storm started raging again. The moment the youngest let out a wet cough, Stephen had retrieved a glass of water for him and gave him some medicine to take and explained why the two of them were there. After that, Stephen went over to the kitchen to heat up some soup for Scott and Quill looked around what he could see of the house. The feeling he had the first day he dropped off Scott was even stronger now that he was inside. This was a house. Not a home. It was cold and Quill could actually feel how lonely Scott really was. Were his parents not home yet? Even if they weren't, the house showed little proof of their presence. As if it wasn't the first time Scott was left home alone.

"Are you just making soup?" Quill asks as he walks over to the counter. When he sees the crackers, he reaches for one and Stephen smacks his hand.  
"Don't touch those. This is Scott's food. He needs it more than you."  
"Ow...didn't need to smack me." Quill grumbles light-heartedly as he walks to the living room and sits on the ground in front of the couch.

Scott had turned the TV on at one point and it was currently sitting on some cartoons that he was sort of watching in a daze. Quill couldn't blame him, it was hard to focus on things when you weren't feeling well, but cartoons always seemed like the go to for when one was sick. Even Quill was guilty of turning them on when he was sick. He liked them when he wasn't too. Some days, adult shows just didn't do it for him.

Both teens zoned out as they watched TV, and Scott managed to sit up and eat what Stephen brought to him a few minutes later. After he finished eating, he laid back down and stared tiredly at the cartoons before eventually falling asleep...and damn was he cute. Quill could hear the soft breaths Scott took as he slept and he chalked it up to being because the younger was congested and couldn't breathe properly through his nose. When he got up, he carefully resituated the blanket over Scott since it had started falling off, and then grabbed Scott's dirty dishes and took them into the kitchen to put in the sink. Stephen had been rummaging through the drawers and just when Quill was going to ask him what he was looking for, the junior held up a deck of cards.

"Want to play?" Stephen asks quietly.  
Quill shrugs. "Sure."

Stephen tosses him the deck and Quill sits at the table while the other teen grabs a couple of glasses and fills them with water. He shuffles the cards as Stephen sits across from him and places the water on the table. They played quietly for about half an hour until Scott started coughing, and they paused long enough to look toward the living room and wait to see if Scott needed them. When he finally stopped and settled back down into his blanket, they resumed playing when Scott seemingly fell back asleep.

"I think he's still asleep." Quill says.  
Stephen looks at the senior curiously. "Why are you still here? I told you I would be staying with him tonight so I don't need a ride."  
"Hey, he takes time out of his day to help me with math and I know he didn't want to in the first place. It's the least I can do." Quill shrugs.  
"Okay...now tell me the real reason." Stephen says calmly after regarding the senior for a few silent moments.  
"What?!" Quill sputters.

The look he got from Stephen was somehow unimpressed and all knowing at the same time, and Quill faltered. He felt like his soul was open for the junior to read and it left him feeling incredibly naked and exposed...and not in the fun way. It was like Stephen was saying, 'I already know the truth but I want you to say it.' So he did.

"I want to be his friend. Get that lonely look out of his eyes...and he's cute." Quill mumbles.  
"I had a suspicion." Stephen mutters with a smug grin that Quill hated immediately.  
"You said you were staying with him tonight, right?" Quill wonders. "Is there something going on…?"  
"No. We're just friends." Stephen shakes his head after taking a sip of his water and setting the glass back on the table.  
Quill had been wondering his next question since they got here. "Where are his parents?"  
"Out of town." The younger replies quietly.  
"Still?!"   
"What do you mean?" Stephen asks carefully.  
"His parents were out of town on Monday!" Quill exclaims. "When are they supposed to get back?"  
"...I couldn't tell you. It's going on four months."

Quill stared at Stephen. Four _months_?! Not just a few days?! It was no wonder Scott looked so dejected all the time and why the house felt exactly like that. Scott had been alone this entire time. He had no one to go home to talk to. Just an empty, cold house that made his solidarity that much worse.

"Are you taking care of him because you feel sorry for him?" Quill asks.  
"Of course not. He's my friend. I just happen to know that he has no one to rely on. Scott doesn't know what it's like to be taken care of. He's not just invisible at school. His parents apparently barely manage to send him money for food." Stephen admits quietly.  
"That's fucked up."  
"I agree...but whatever your intentions are, don't do it because you pity him. If you hurt him, I will come after you." 

The younger teen glared at him and Quill took the threat seriously...not that he had any intention of hurting Scott in the first place. He was being hurt enough by his parents and other students. It was no wonder he liked being invisible. He was used to it. Comfortable with it...and that broke Quill's heart. He couldn't imagine being ignored by his parents...by his grandfather. Sure, his mom died when he was little and he never knew who his dad was, but at least his mom and grandfather paid attention to him. 

Loved him.

Dinner was discussed, Quill offered to pick up food for the three of them but Stephen just said he would make something for them. He made something that would be relatively easy on Scott's stomach and they joined the youngest in the living room when dinner was ready. Stephen woke Scott as Quill looked through the movie collection on the nearby shelf, and when he and the junior agreed on a movie, they watched it with Scott. Scott's cold was bad enough to affect his appetite and he picked at his food, but did manage to eat half of it before laying back down. 

Stephen got up a few minutes later to grab some more medicine and water, and returned to Scott. "Hey. Take this before you fall asleep."

The youngest grunts unintelligibly as he sits up and takes the offered medicine so he can lay back down. It wasn't very long before Scott dozed off again, and the older teens took their dishes to the sink when they finished their meal and the movie was over. Scott's remaining food was trashed, and Stephen started on the dishes as he motioned toward the living room with his head.

"He shouldn't sleep on the couch. It'll be better if he sleeps in bed." Stephen says and Quill nods.  
"I'll take him up. Which one is it?"  
"First door, upstairs to the right." Stephen answers.

Quill nods and walks back over to the couch Scott occupied, and looks down at him as he tries to think of a way to pick him up without disturbing him. The only way he could go about it was to just pick him up and hope for the best so that's what he did. He bent down and scooped Scott up, blanket at all, and secured him in his arms before he started for the stairs. Quill climbed the stairs as carefully as possible, cursing under his breath when he reached the top and hit his shoulder on the corner of a wall as he turned, and was glad to find Scott's bedroom door open. He shouldered his way in and walked over to the bed where he gently laid the younger teen, and had to hold back the urge to laugh (fondly of course) when Scott rolled into his side and cocooned himself in his blanket. 

The senior quietly exited the room after that and went back downstairs to find Stephen digging in the hall closet. "What are you doing?"  
"Looking for clean pillows and blankets." Stephen grunts as he pulls out said items. "You get to sleep on the floor."  
"Why not the couch?" Quill complains as Stephen tosses a pillow and blanket at him.  
"Because _I'm_ sleeping on the couch and you're too big for it anyway."  
"...okay, fair." Quill relents and walks into the living room. 

He shucks off his shirt and throws them by his backpack where they're soon followed by his pants, and then settles in the floor with a groan. It definitely wasn't going to be his favorite place to sleep, and he knew it would come back to bite him in the morning, but at least it was better than sleeping in the car...right? He couldn't stretch out in his car. Quill grumbles as Stephen strips down to his boxers as well and lays on the couch with his own blanket and pillow, and the younger rolls his eyes.

"No one asked you to stay."  
"I'm _gonna_."  
"Then shut up and go to sleep." Stephen huffs as he rolls on his side away from Quill.  
"You know...I'm pretty sure I've lifted weights heavier than him." Quill mumbles thoughtfully.  
"That's because you're a barbarian."

Quill snorts and shoves his pillow under his head until he's decently comfortable and falls asleep after a little while. He didn't wake on his own though. No, he and Stephen were startled out of sleep when they heard a clatter and then a loud thud.

"What the fuck was that?" Quill demands as they get up and they rush into the kitchen when they hear Scott groan.  
Stephen was a little faster and he closed the refrigerator door before kneeling next to the younger teen. "What are you doing out of bed?"  
"'S okay...I can take care of myself. Just slipped." Scott slurs as Stephen helps him up. "Just make the room stop spinning an' I'll be golden."  
Stephen ignores him and looks at Quill. "Help him to the couch."

The oldest nods and reaches out to take Scott as Stephen pushes him against him, and carefully leads the sophomore to the couch. While Stephen stays in the kitchen to make breakfast, Quill gently pushes Scott to lie down on the couch when they get to it and then crouches down in front of it to massage the back of the younger's neck. The older teen smiles when Scott melts into the touch with a happy sigh and continues his gentle strokes against warm skin.

"Tha's nice…" Scott mumbles as his eyes close.

Quill sat there for the next couple of minutes as Scott's breathing slowly evened out, and Stephen looked over from the kitchen.

"Scott? What do you want to eat?" He asks and Quill glances over at him when Scott doesn't answer.  
"I think I put him to sleep." Quill says as quietly as possible.  
Stephen furrows his brows in confusion. "What do you mean?"  
"I started giving him a little neck massage. He kind of turned into a puddle of goo and fell asleep."  
"I'll make something for him later then. Cereal and a movie?" He asks.  
Quill nods as he carefully pulls his hand away from Scott. "Fine with me."

Quill almost didn't notice when Scott reached out in his sleep and grabbed his hand. The touch was so gentle that he wouldn't be surprised that it was hesitant even in sleep, but either way it told him that Scott wanted the attention. That he was touch starved and subconsciously wanted more even if his mouth said otherwise. Scott wanted to be seen but was so used to people pretending he didn't exist that he was too scared.

Too scared to scream for the attention he so desperately wanted...and needed.


	5. Chapter 5

"Peter...what in the world are you doing with _that_?" Tim asks and motions toward the enormous teddy bear the teen was holding onto with one of his arms.  
Quill blushes a little and coughs. "I...it's for Scott. He's been sick all weekend and...well I saw it and thought of him." He finishes lamely.  
"Is that where you were spending your time? His parents didn't mind?"

Quill's face falls at the reminder and he shrugs. He couldn't tell his grandfather the whole truth or he might call the authorities and Scott would likely be thrown into the system...and Quill might never see him again. 

"His parents were out of town for work, so me and Stephen hung out with him." He says.  
Tim raises an eyebrow as they start checking out at the register, the bear already scanned. "Stephen?"  
"He's Scotty's best friend. I guess we're friends now too...but he mother hen's Scott so much that it's kind of funny."  
"Is he better now?"   
Quill nods. "He was feeling better when me and Stephen left yesterday, but he took today off from school just in case." He looks at his grandfather meekly when a box of Capri Sun moves down the belt. "He really likes juice." He mumbles.

Tim only chuckles and pays for everything once it's scanned and they take the cart out to Quill's car to load everything into the trunk after the teen throws the bear into the back seat. He didn't know how he was going to give Scott the bear, but he knew it wasn't going to be at school because he didn't want to embarrass him. Maybe he could swing by Scott's house this weekend and drop it off.

Quill didn't think much of the bear after he had thrown it into his closet, and when he went to school the next day, he headed for Scott's locker. He smiles when he sees the younger getting everything he needed for the first half of his day and he digs out a juice pouch and the small bag with cough drops that his grandfather had given to him for Scott. When Quill gets close enough, he holds out the bag in front of Scott after he coughs while sneaking the juice pouch into the younger's sweater pocket. The blush on Scott's face when he looked up to see who was holding the bag was adorable and it made Quill smile internally.

""I figured these would help you get through the day."  
"Why are you doing this?" Scott blurts out and Quill shrugs.  
"I've only known you for a week, but I like what little I've gotten to see...and I want to get to know you better." Quill says and Scott looks away to grab his books out of his locker.  
"You've seen everything. Even the bad parts."  
"Not everything." Quill says as he decides to just shove the plastic bag in Scott's sweater pocket with the juice since he didn't seem to be inclined to take it himself. "I have yet to see you smile." Quill smiles at him. "I'll see you after practice."

Quill walks off before Scott can protest or try to give the cough drops or juice back and he gets to his own locker to grab his books quickly. Eric was there waiting for him and he straightens when Quill opens his locker.

"Hey. Where were you this weekend?" He asks.  
"Just keeping a friend company. His parents were out of town and he was sick." Quill answers as he shoves his books into his backpack and closes his locker.  
"Anyone I know?"  
"Nah. Probably not. He keeps to himself."  
"Oh! Is it that guy you meet in the library after practice every day?" Eric wonders and Quill nods.  
"Yeah. He's helping me with math."  
"Cool. Hope he's feeling better." Eric falls into step next to Quill as they walk to their first class.

The first half of the day went by quietly with only the storm outside to continue to rage. Quill swore it was going to be a record breaker if it continued to storm like this for much longer, and he had a feeling practice would be cancelled because a lot of the school grounds already had large puddles. The storm could have been a sign of the problems to come too because when lunchtime finally came around...there was tension in the air. He had to talk to one of his teachers again before he went to the cafeteria, but when he finally did, he made it to the open doors...and it was completely silent. The usual buzz from other students talking over each other was gone, and he quickly found out why when he saw Rachel confronting Scott.

His blood boiled when the younger turned and Quill saw humiliation in his eyes before he pushed past the senior, and he marched over to Rachel. He had no idea what had just happened but he was going to find out and put this bitch in her place once and for all.

"What the fuck did you say to him, bitch?!" Quill yells and Rachel pouts.  
"I was only telling him that he shouldn't expect anything from you. He's just a worthless--"  
Quill was starting to see red. He had never wanted to hit someone so badly before. Especially not a girl, but he resisted. "The only one worthless here is _you._ " Quill snaps. "Just because you're jealous that I'm spending time with him instead of a whore like you, doesn't mean you humiliate him. I swear if I see you near him again I'll make sure you regret it!"  
"I just wanted to make sure nothing came between us!" Rachel says with fake crocodile tears welling up.

Oh. So that's what this was about. 

"Well done. There truly is nothing between us." Quill growls out. "You think I'd want you after what you just did?" He steps closer and Rachel flinches as he towers over her. The only thing keeping him from doing anything else was a hand on his upper arm. "Get over yourself." He seethes.

Quill turns and finds that the hand belonged to Stephen and his newly minted friend picks up Scott's backpack from his usual table before they leave the cafeteria. The buzz eventually picks up again as the senior follows Stephen through the hall as he starts searching for Scott.

"I found out what happened before I even got to the cafeteria so I asked for permission for us to take Scott home when we find him." Stephen explains as he peeks into the bathrooms.

Quill grunts so the younger teen knew he was listening, but he couldn't get the look on Scott's face out of his head. Rachel had humiliated him in some way he wasn't aware of and he hated that. He was trying to gently pick away at his wall so Scott could trust him and Quill could get him to smile, but then Rachel sunk her claws into him. Exposed him in some way to the entire student body.

"There." Stephen suddenly says and Quill looks around to find them in the stairwell near the door to the roof. "Stay here."

The senior nods and watches as Stephen steps over the block propping the door to the roof open and then he disappears out of sight. It only took a couple of minutes for him to return with Scott in tow, and Quill's heart broke even more at the obvious misery in the youngest's eyes. They whispered something to each other that he couldn't make out, but then Stephen dropped Scott's backpack to pull him into a hug. Scott, the poor guy, looked like he didn't know what to do but he did eventually return the hug and it made Quill feel a little better about the situation.

Maybe Scott would realize he wasn't alone.

When they finally move away, Stephen picks up the backpack again and holds it out to Scott. "We have permission to take you home." Stephen says softly and Scott furrows his eyebrows.  
"We?"  
Stephen motions toward the stairs and Scott looks down to find Quill. "I'm not the only one who would notice if you disappeared."  
Scott looks down and away from the senior and stares at the floor. "That's probably not a good idea."  
"Hey." Quill says and waits until Scott looks back at him. "Don't worry about Rachel. Everyone knows she's just mad that I'm more worried about my grades than I am about catching her STD's. Do you have any idea where _that_ has been?" Quill half jokes.

Scott looks at him for a beat before bursting into laughter and Quill couldn't help but watch. He finally smiled and he had been right. It was one of the prettiest things he had ever seen. He was rather proud he got Scott to laugh so he could see the genuine smile reach his eyes. As Scott's laughter tapered off into wheezing, Stephen asks him to take off his sweater which he eventually does with a forming frown.

"I don't have anything else."  
Stephen sighs. "It's better to not wear it while we get to the car than to wear it and make yourself worse."  
"Hold on." Quill says and climbs the stairs up to them as he takes off his own sweater before holding it out to Scott. "It's clean, I promise."  
"Thanks, but--"  
"It's fine. I run pretty warm and I can stop by my house after I drop you off at home." 

Quill had to resist pulling Scott into his arms when he finally accepted the sweater and put it on. He remembered briefly imagining Scott wearing his sweater, but the real thing was so much better. He was practically swimming in it, and although it unfortunately covered his jean-clad ass, Quill figured it was worth losing sight of. Scott looks up at him to thank him and after a confused expression crosses the younger's features (Quill had no idea what that was about), the senior smiles at him.

"You're cute when you smile by the way." Quill says as he starts back down the stairs.

==========

Practice unfortunately hadn't been cancelled but they at least took it easy in the gym. The second it was over, Quill showered, dressed, and got his things before dashing out of school to his car. When he and Stephen were on their way back from dropping Scott off at home, he asked the junior what Scott might want for dinner since he wanted to check on him after school. Stephen had to go home after school so he was glad Quill was going to go back again.

He went through a drive thru before driving to Scott's house, and he parked in the driveway before grabbing his backpack, the bag of food, and some more cough drops and juice he had sitting in the back seat. He rushes to the front door and knocks, and the second Scott opens the door, he pushes the bag of food into his arms and grins when Scott fumbles with it in surprise before looking into it curiously. Quill walks in and closes the door behind him when Scott steps aside to let him in.

"Tacos, tons of juice, _and_ more cough drops." Quill explains. "Please help me with my math homework." He adds as an afterthought.  
"You don't need to bribe me. I'm still going to help you." Scott mumbles.  
"The food isn't bribery. You had a shitty day so it's comfort food." Quill turns to him, looks him over, and mentally notes the pink in the younger's cheeks. "Wow...you're kind of swimming in my sweater."

Of course he had noticed before, but he couldn't help but look again. He didn't actually mean to point it out but clearly his brain to mouth filter wasn't working properly. The deeper blush was worth it anyway as well as Scott's next...word.

"Hnn." Scott wheezes out and Quill bites back a laugh.  
"Sorry for showing up without warning. I figured you could use the company. Dining table or coffee table?"  
"C-Coffee table I guess." Scott stammers.

They walk over to sit on the ground at the coffee table and after Scott puts the bag down, he turns on the tv and Quill pulls out his books. He had to push down the thought of _I'm alone with Scott in his house_ , but he managed it enough to be able to do his homework. Scott finishes before he does and grabs a couple of tacos and Quill has to stop and stare because _holy shit_ , this tiny thing was eating like he normally did. He packed away two tacos in the span of just as many minutes and only then did Scott help Quill with his math homework.

When he coughs again, Quill doesn't say anything when Scott apologizes for doing so into the sleeve of the senior's sweater, he just pushes the bag of cough drops closer. As Quill works on the rest of his homework after finishing his math, Scott tosses back a third taco, accepting the juice that Quill pulled out of his bag and handed over, and then Quill finally pushes his finished homework aside to pull out the remaining four tacos.

"You really do like tacos and juice." He says with a smirk.  
"What?"  
"I asked Stephen what your favorite food is so I can bring you something to hopefully cheer you up." Quill explains. "He didn't even hesitate before telling me."  
Scott blinks up at him. "You gave me juice this morning though."  
"Oh...uh…" Quill rubs the back of his neck and looks away for a brief moment. "I kind of noticed before that you drink juice at lunch...and wherever you can get away with it." He then looks back and motions toward his tacos. "I seriously underestimated how much you like tacos."  
"'M sorry." Scott frowns and mumbles.  
Quill tilts his head curiously. "For what?"  
"I...didn't think to ask how many were for me."  
Quill guffaws. "I thought you would only eat two but I got you a third just in case. I honestly wouldn't have cared if you ate them all."  
"I really like tacos but even I can't eat that many." Scott says after making a face.  
"You could probably eat a fourth if you didn't drink so much juice." The older teases and his heart flutters when Scott pouts. "Oh, you're even cute when you pout."

Maybe Quill could make that blush on Scott's face permanent. He knew he was openly flirting, and Scott didn't seem to mind other than not knowing how to respond to it, but the blushing was a good start. Quill ate his dinner as he watched Scott try to calm down and think of something to say, but when he was done, he looked over at the clock on the wall, completely missing Scott's attempt to say something.

"I better get home." He says as he gathers his things and shoves them into his bag. "What do you think about just doing our homework here? On a good day, you can come home and I can come after practice, and on a bad day, I can drive you home and we can pick up something to eat on the way."  
"I...can't really afford to buy food every day and that's not fair to you." Scott says quietly.  
"We can figure out food." Quill shrugs.  
"...sure." Scott agrees albeit a little shyly and with another growing blush.  
"Cool. You okay to go back tomorrow? We won't blame you if you stay home." Quill asks gently and smiles when Scott nods. "Okay."

He gets up with his backpack and throws it over one of his shoulders, leaving after saying goodbye to Scott. When the door closes behind him he releases a deep sigh as he walks to his car and gets in after throwing his bag into the passenger seat. He felt...giddy. Scott agreed to having their study sessions at his house, but the thought also had him frowning as he pulled out of the driveway and drove home. It was like Scott wasn't expecting his parents to come home anytime soon...if at all. Was that why he wanted to study at the house instead? Maybe it was part of it. Quill didn't want Scott to be lonely there...and he wanted the teen to at least get a taste of what a _home_ should feel like.

He hoped it helped when he and Stephen stayed over the weekend to take care of him, but Scott was surprisingly difficult to read. He was used to hiding away...used to not showing how he really felt. Quill wanted to see him smile again. That was for sure.


End file.
